What are the 11 Ultra Beasts?

Ultra Beasts are a group of extradimensional Pokémon originating from Ultra Space through Ultra Wormholes. They were first introduced in the Generation VII games Pokémon Sun/Moon.

In total, there are 11 known Ultra Beast species:

As you can see, they encompass a wide variety of types, including several unique type combinations not found anywhere else.

Origins and Background

Ultra Beasts originate from Ultra Space, an alternate dimension populated by these strange creatures. They are able to enter the regular Pokémon world through Ultra Wormholes, causing them to suddenly appear and create havoc.

Little is known about Ultra Space itself or the true nature of Ultra Beasts. However, they seem to operate on a higher energy level than regular Pokémon, making them incredibly strong but also rather unstable.

Notable Appearances

The first Ultra Beast encountered was Nihilego, which possessed Lusamine in the original Sun/Moon games. Since then, Ultra Beasts have appeared prominently across Pokémon media:

• Anime: Ash and friends have battled several Ultra Beasts as "Ultra Guardians" defending Alola. Ash also caught a Poipole which evolved into Naganadel.
• Movies: The movie "The Cocoon of Destruction" focused on the Ultra Beast Naganadel and also featured Buzzwole and Pheromosa.
• Pokken Tournament: Nihilego appears as a battle Pokken partner.
• Manga: Ultra Beasts play major roles in the Sun/Moon and Sword/Shield manga storylines.
• Pokémon GO: Many Ultra Beasts have been added as high-tier raid bosses.

So while obscure at first, Ultra Beasts have become more prominent fixtures of the Pokémon franchise over time.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Competitively, some Ultra Beasts like Pheromosa, Kartana, and Naganadel have become staples in the upper tiers of play. Their power comes more from having very specialized stats rather than sheer brute strength.

For example, Kartana has a sky-high 181 base Attack but only 59 HP – making it an all-or-nothing glass cannon. And Naganadel has a fantastic special movepool to take advantage of its beastly 167 Special Attack.

Meanwhile, Ultra Beasts like Guzzlord and Stakataka have unique abilities (Beast Boost and Beast Boost) but struggle in ranked play due to crippling weaknesses or mediocre speed.

So while all Ultra Beasts have strengths, only some like the Speedy Pheromosa or the Wall-breaking Naganadel regularly see high-level tournament usage at the moment.

More Ultra Beasts in the Future?

Given how bizarre and mysterious Ultra Space is, it seems possible we‘ve still only scratched the surface of what kinds of Ultra Beasts may exist out there. It‘s probable that future Pokémon games will introduce new Ultra Beast species through Ultra Wormholes, keeping that looming threat in the background.

Personally, I‘d love to see apure Flying-type or Ice-type Ultra Beast soon to fill some missing type niches. Or perhaps even stranger combinations like Fairy/Ground could be discovered. The possibilities seem endless!

Overall, Ultra Beasts stand out as one of the most unique Pokémon categories – bridging the gap between Legendary and conventional Pokémon with their otherworldly designs, sudden appearances from wormholes, immense strength, and growing prominence across Pokémon media. So while still shrouded in mystery, they will likely continue to play a major role as the franchise explores new frontiers.